Background Information

Despite people hearing the word "ultrasound" many people don't know what an ultrasound is and what it is used for. An ultrasound, which is also referred to as a sonogram, is a medical device that uses high frequency sound waves so that an image is formed on the screen of the machine where we can view the tissues and organs within the patient's body. We cannot hear the high frequency sound waves that are emitted from the ultrasound machine for protection. Most of the time an ultrasound procedure is performed on a woman during their pregnancy to gain a diagnosis on their fetus to see if there are any abnormalities with the baby. Other than being used during pregnancy, an ultrasound can also be used for diagnosing any problems with organs and tissues within a person's body. Most people think that ultrasound are only meant for women during pregnancy but it can also be used for males and other age groups as well.

Advantages

The reason why an ultrasound is used so much across Canada and the rest of the world is because of all the advantages that come with using it.Here are some of the many advantages that come with using a sonogram:

· Can be used to treat heart problems (ex. blood clots and functioning of valves) by using an echocardiogram · Does not affect our health · Can identify lesions (a part of the organ or tissue which is damaged or injured)· Does not emit radiation affecting the person (due to harmless sound waves emitted by the medical machine)· Can detect blood flow· Quick and painless (due to the non-invasive procedures)· Gives pregnant women the info they need to know about their child (shows the woman what to do and what not to do to not affect the fetus during pregnancy such as smoking)

Disadvantages

Along with the advantages there are disadvantages to doing an ultrasound. These are the most important concerns:

· Is not available everywhere (especially in developing countries due to them not being able to afford it) · Not all insurance companies cover this · Cannot detect many cancers (only specializes in some types of cancers and others cancers are meant for other machines) · Ultrasound scans might not know if a mass is a malignant or not · Expensive (due to components of machine being very hard to obtain and new technology being integrated)